Connecticut Ranked as Nation's #9 State for Nurses Amidst Nationwide Nursing Shortages
/At a time when nursing shortages are acute across the country, Connecticut is a top-10 state for nurses, according to data analyzed by the financial services website WalletHub.
The CT Examiner recently reported that according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, projected early retirements, stress and burnout will lead to about one-fifth of nurses nationally leaving the healthcare workforce by 2027. The CT Examiner also noted that according to the Governor’s Workforce Council and Hartford Healthcare, fewer than 2,000 nurses graduate each year from all nursing programs in Connecticut while an estimated 3,000 new nurses are needed annually to meet staffing demands.
WalletHub compared the relative attractiveness of the 50 states across 20 key metrics. The data set ranges from job openings for nurses per capita and average salaries to mandatory overtime restrictions and the quality of nursing homes.
Connecticut’s overall ranking of #9 in the nation was built on a solid foundation across numerous key metrics:
10th – Health-Care Facilities per Capita
12th – Nursing-Job Openings per Capita
16th – Projected Share of Elderly Population by 2030
16th – Avg. Number of Work Hours
21st – Share of Best Nursing Homes
21st – Projected Competition by 2030
“Nurses are among the most essential workers in the country, as we’ve seen all too well over the past few years. Since they work in such a demanding profession, nurses deserve to work in places that will compensate them appropriately and offer them reasonable working conditions. The best states for nurses have high salaries, mandatory overtime limits, high-quality health care facilities and plenty of job opportunities,” explained WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe.
The top 10 states according to the analysis were Washington, Maine, New Hampshire, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Minnesota, Wyoming, Connecticut and Arizona. New York ranked #14, Massachusetts was #17, followed by Rhode Island at #18.
In its reporting, CT Examiner indicated that Hartford Healthcare, the second largest health network in the state, is working to solve the nursing shortage by partnering with Eastern Connecticut State University, Sacred Heart University and Quinnipiac University to train more nurses. The partnership with Eastern includes a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and the construction of a simulation facility at Windham Hospital to help train students.
The Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce works to “foster collaborations to ensure a highly educated, diverse, and sustainable nursing workforce to support the healthcare needs of Connecticut residents.” The organization points out that “the nursing workforce crisis in Connecticut is a complex one, and one which requires the active support and participation of all organizations involved in the business of providing quality healthcare to our Connecticut residents.”
State lawmakers took a major stride to address the nursing shortage in Connecticut, according to CT Insider, by passing legislation to enter the national nurse licensure compact. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate on the last day of the legislative session on May 8, after passing unanimously in the House last month. The bill awaits Gov. Ned Lamont's signature. Joining the compact will allow registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to provide care in Connecticut and 41 other states without needing individual state licenses, according to the published report.
In order to determine the best states for nurses, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key dimensions, “Opportunity & Competition” and “Work Environment,” evaluating those dimensions using 20 key metrics. Data used to create the ranking were collected as of April 2, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Council for Community and Economic Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HRSA Data Warehouse, Indeed.com, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. News & World Report, Projections Central - State Occupational Projections, Nurse.org, Wage//Advocates, American Association of Nurse Practitioners and WalletHub research.
